Carriage for ships&#39; guns of small and medium caliber.



E. SCHNEIDER. ommmn r013. suns GUNS or SMALL um MEDIUM OALIBEB.

Y APPLIOATIOI FILED 1'23. 1, 1907.

903,324. Patented Nov. 10,1908.

BHBETB-BHEET 1.

E. SGHNEIDBR. CARRIAGE FOB SHIP GUNS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM OALIBEB.APPLIOATIOI run run. 1, 1001.

903,324. Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

I BHBBTFBEBET B.

n. scmmnzn. V CARRIAGE FOB SHIPS GUNS 0F SHALL AND IBDIUH CALIBER.

APPLIOLTIOI I ILBD YBB 1, 1007.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908. 0 8HBET8SKEET l.

EJSGHNEIDER.

CARRIAGE FOB SHIPS GUNS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM CALIBER.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

' 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1907.

E. SCHNEIDER. CARRIAGE FOR SHIPS GUNS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM CALIBER.

APPLIOATIOI rILnn F118. 1, 1907.

, 903,324. Patented Nov. 10,1908. 0 BHEETSBEEBT B.

Fig. 8.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF LE CREUSOT, FRANCE.

CARRIAGE FOR SHIPS GUNS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM CALIBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1903.

Application filed February 1, 1907. Serial No. 355,287.

To. all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I EUGENE SCHNEIDER, of Le Creusot, (Saoneet-Loire,) inthe Republic of France, have invented a new and" useful Improvement inCarrie es for Ships ,Guns of Small and.Medium Ca iber, which is fullyset forth in the following specification.

The present invention has for its object a disposition of gun carriagesfor small or me dium caliber uns on board ship whereby the carria'es wittheir, guns may be sheltered in wel s located between decks.

The invention resides in providing a guncarriage supporting tube havingmeans for its uldance on the walls of a well, and also having means forattachment of elevating means and means for bringing thegun to battery,the said tube being capable ofonaging with means on the walls of thewell 'oth when the gun is led to battery and when it is retired toshelter. One constructional tion is illustrated by way of example in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 to 9 represent a constructional form particularly adapted forhiding artillery of medium caliber; Figs. 1 and 2' representing generalviews principally in section but showing the (gun in battery in 1011itudinal elevation an endview respective y; Figs. 3 and 4 are viewssimilar to Figs. 1 and 2 showin the on as being hidden; Figs. 1 2 and 4s ow etails of the ammunition hoist. Fig. '5 is a plan showing the gunin battery. Fig. 6 is 'a horizontal section taken along the line AA inFig. 3. Fig. 7 is a plan of the Windlass and of the lower part of theann'nunition hoist. Fig. 8 is a View in section on a larger scale ofpa'rtof Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is a view also in section on a larger scale ofpart of Fig. 1.

eferring to the exmnples illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9, the carriage com)risos a carriage body a-on which the gun ant its cradle b are ivoted.This carriage body of cylindrical lbrm rests by means of an upper rollertrack 0 u on a ring of rollers 11 carried bye lower rol er track 2mounted. upon a carriage-supportin tubef suspended by cables or chainsgwhic connect it with the Windlass of the oisting mechanism.

The carriage-supporting tubefand also a portion of the carriage body aare constantly sheltered. the gun is raised for use (Figs. 1 and 2)proform of the inven- This carriage body, when tornatio yielding of thebolts jects from the upper deck it only to the extent required formaneuvering the gun. The carriage-supporting. tube is guided in a sheetiron well i, arranger. between the upper deck and a lower deck The tubeis guided in part. indirectly by two annular guides k, 'm, on thecarriage body sliding with easy friction in the well t; in partdirectly, the carria e-supporting fixed in the interior of the well i,ig. 6.

The apparatus comprises means for lock-' ing the carriage and thecarriage-supporting tube in the battery position. Upon an annularplatform p carried b 1 the well '5, two spring bolts Q are ITlOUIliJGiI,these bolts engaging automatically in corresponding sta ples 1' formedin a strengthening portion 8 of the lower extremity of thecarriage-supporting tube This strengthening portion is chamferei at t inorder to facilitate the aug when the carriage is brought to battery.\Vhcn it is desired to release the bolts for efiectin'g the hiding ofthe carriage, by means of a cable M (Fig 6) a tractive cfi'ort isexerted upon one arm of a double lever '0 pivoted to the well i, theother arm of which is engaged in a mortise in the tail of the bolt 9.When the bolts have been released the tube j' is able to de scend itstravel is limited by a collar or stop w bearing upon the bolts (Fig. 3).

The carrrage-supporting tube f is prevcntczl from rotating around itsaxis by the arms 1:. ongagiu'g with their rails 0; upon a toothed crownill, carried by the tube f, a bevel pinion 'y keyed upon. a spindle 2;carried by the carriage body a. is capable of rolling. This pinion maybe actuated by the transn'iission. The rotation of the pinion thusproduces the rotatun'i of the carriage body around its'nx s, the rollingtrack a rotating up :n. the rollers (1..

The carriage body a carries parts oi the nwcl'iai'iism for theelevation. of the gun wl'iich com )rise a pinion l meshing with a sector2 fixed to the cradle of the gun.

The pinion 1 is keyed upon a spindle 3 which may b c actuated by thellltl-lkSlllit'n. through the intermediary of a pair of bevel. gears 45,46, Fig. .l, a flexible shaft 47, endless screw 48, and a spiral gearwheel 4.

lkeyed on the said spindle 3.

marks- 2 man by means of anappropriah-i mechanical tube f beingfurnished witi three arms a, the extremity of 5.

each arm embracing and sliding u on a rail 0" r shown 12; the cradle'isprovided withdrawn and at the same 12 in the'screen is then closed bymeans. of a.

the dec The sector 2 is adapted to bring the un into the verticalposition for being hid en. The'tube f, as stated above, is suspended bycables 9 wound u on the drum 4 of a windlass operated eit ier b a motor5 .or h y transmission gearingending in a crank 6, gs.1,2and3.

he gun assumed to be in the position in Fig. 1 and afterwards arrangedvertically, if the Windlass be actuatedin such a manner as to unwind thecable (sec arrow, I Fig. 2), the parts comprising the gun, the

carriage and the carriage-su porting tube, descend into the well '8until tfi estop w bears upon the bolts g (Figs.'3 and 4).

Figs. 1 and 2 show in section and in eleva-. tion respectively and Fig.5 shows in plan, a

'protectmglscreen 7 which upon-the gun bemg broug t to battery is fixedupon its cradle, so that the gun passes through the port with four arms8 in which tenons 9 projectin from the screen engage, keys 10 insuring te connection of e screen with. the arms 8. In order to effact the hidingoperation, as soon as the gun has been placed vertically, the keys 10are (Fig. 1) which carries the aiming mechanism, is removed. The screen7 descends with the carriage and rests upon the upper edge of the well tor ofan armored covering. he port plug 13 which is secured in positionby mcansof a bayonetor other suitable joint. In this osition, the screenma be fitted to liih by a pin and he orby any other appropriate means.It wi l of course be un derstood-that, for 'bringi-ngthe gun to battery,the screen is released, the plug 13 withdrawn and the gun engaging inthe port 12,!

the screen resumes'its position on the gun in which it should be fixedby the tenons 9 and he s 10.

hoist or more exactly the carriage-sup orting tube f and the carriagebodya form a ousing for a bucket elevator or ammunition hoist whichma beoperated by the windlass 4 whereby -t e carriage hoist'is actuated.

Over a-drum 14 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4-) ksyed u on an axle carried by thecarriage bo y a 't are passes an endless belt 15 provided with Z aseries of flexible pockets or buckets l6 and also passin over a drivingdr um 17 mounted upon the ame of the Windlass 4'. At the lower part ofthe elevator there is arranged below the carria e-support'ingtube faftension device 18."

I slow the carriage sup or-t-' tubef the elevator is guided. ina m 19$ich maybe ofbr'ass fixed to the frame of thewindl'ass and inwhichthere. is formed an aperturethroulgh which the cartridges are thepockets or .65

introduced for flags-supporting tube f and inthe interior order toinsure the .When the gun is sheltered the (Fig.4).

time the'arm 11- 7) on its shaft 36. D

'windlassis thrown into'gear bythe engagev pinion 39 with gear .40,atthe sameqs.

thefeicampie described, the carriage "ammunition hoisting belt be madewithout departing from; th gin eien an acing them in position in.'uckets 16. Above the .car-;

body there is" arranged a of'the carri e rass or other suitable metalsheath 20 of for a conduit 21 which directs the cartrid es on to theleft hand side of the carriage ig-I' 2) whatever the direction of thecarriage may be. 'As the axis of the drum 19 is dis laced in ahorizontal plane during the ateral protecting the elevator and providedwith 1 aiming operations, while the agris of the drum 17. does not cha ein elevator becomes twisted elica being sufliclent to permit of thisosition the y, its length" 7 torsion. In assa' e of the cartridges inthe conduit 21, 8 the belt 15 is pro-" fvided with a corresglondingplate 22 for each pocketor bucket ;.t e object of this plate'is to pressthe base of the cartrid e constantly against the guide wall and to forcethe cartridge to engage "in. the said conduit -'2I. elevator belt whichis flexible is folded within the tube i119 Assumin' the gun in itssheltered position that is, in t e position shown in Figs. 3 an 4, andit is desired to place the gun in bat-. tery and supply. it withammunition, one

can either operate with the motor-5 orby hand by use of' crank '6. I v

Supposeftha't it is desired-to 0 motor, the crank is then disengage ingit to slip with the cans o elevate the gun "thement of time thetwopartsjof the clutch 41 are so arated, thereby throwing out of operationhe'- ammunition'elevating elt. The dynamo is started This causes theendless screw '37 (Fig. 1) to turn and in turn 38 (Figs. 1 and 7From-this gqarmove. ment is transmitted to thence to gears 42, 43,- anwhich turns in a direction of. the arrow, Fig. 2.' The cable 9 winds upon the drum 4. an'd-elev'a tes the carriage-supporti erate' by.

inion35 (Figs; 1 and,.

spiral geag'.

direction inversely to the who f. 5 To operate the ammunition hoistmg.belt, the pinion 39-i8," disengaged to bring it into position shown. inFi .7, by engaging the two members of the 'clutc device 41 therebyrendering the shaft of the drum 17 fast with the prolongation of;

the shaft'oi the ing the dynamo 5 1n the proper direction, the

the ammunition.

' It W eapparentto those skill d i art that various changes in p ptisns... d ther'elative arrangements 0 the parts.

of my. invention,: and all. such chan intended to be includ 1=clflllns.-. .4

- I. c mi "'l In a disappearinggun carriage forships the lcombination'ofan armoredwell', ai parf-f' m turn elevates spiral gear 38. By opera-.

ria e support in said well, means for raising an lowering said support,'a gun carriage revolubly mounted on said support and provided with a uncradle carryin a gun, and agun shield etachably mounte on the gun cradleto close said well when the gun is retired.

2. In a disappearing gun carriage for ships, the combination of a well,a vertlcally movable tube within the well for supporting a gun carria e,an ammunition hoisting belt' within sai tube for supplying ammunition tothe gun, and "means for raising said tube to place the gun in batteposition and to retire the same into the we] and means operating theammunition hoist.

3. In a disappearing gun carriage for ships, the combination of avertically movable supporting tube havin at its u per extremity a rollerbearing trac a tubu at gun carriage body revolubly supported on saidtrack and vertically movable with said tube, a well for sheltering saidgun carriage and tubular members and means fast to the said tube forguiding its movements in the well, means for raising and lowering thesaid tubular members, and means for locking the same when the gun is inbattery position.

4. In a disappearing gun carriage for ships, the combination of avertically movable supporting tube havin at its upper extremity a rollerbearing trac a tubular gun carriage shieldihaving a central openin forreceiving the gun muzzle and provide with means seeurin the shield inposition on the gun when m battery and manually operated means releasingthe shield when the gun retires within the well to close the latter, anda plug for closing the opening in the shield.

6. In a disappearing gun carriage for ships, the combination of a guncarria e having a un thereon, a vertically mova le support or saidcarriage, guides for said support located between decks, an extensibleammunition hoist for the gun, and means for operating the support tobring the gun to battery and to return'the same to shelter betweendecks.

7. In combination with a, disappearing gun and a well for shelterin thesame, a detachable gun shield normal y closing said well and having an oening for receivin the muzzle of said gunw en thev gun moves rom shelterinto batte position. I

8. In combination with' a disappearing gun carriage and a well forshelteringthe same, a vertically movable tube within the well forsupporting the un carria e, and an ammunition hoisting beIt within t etube in operative relation therewith and provided with pockets andmembers for engaging the l ammunition to insure its delivery from thebelt.

9. In combination, a vertically movable gun carriage having a movementabout a vertical axis, a well for shelterin said carria e, andanammunition hoist avin one en participating in the movement 0 saidcarriage, and means for o erating said hoist.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER.

' Witnesses:

ROBERT DE SERELiNGER, HANSON 0. 00x11.

